11 Most Intense Performances In Comic Book Movies
6. Alfred Molina - Doctor Octopus (Spider-Man 2)
Sam Raimi's Spider-Man films might seem a little dated by today's standards, but as an adaptation of the original Lee-Ditko comic, you'd struggle to find one more genuine.
The first two entries in that trilogy are still rather brilliant, but it's the first sequel that stands out the most. Starring Alfred Molina as Doctor Otto Octavius and the usual suspects of Toby Maguire, Kirsten Dunst and Rosemary Harris as Peter Parker, Mary Jane Watson and Aunt May respectively, Spidey 2 followed up on the cartoony nature of the first film with a thoroughly compelling villain in Molina's Doc Ock, a physics professor who befalls a tragic accident during an Oscorp-funded science experiment.
Now in the thrall of four sentient, mechanical and vicious tentacles, Octavius embarks on a crime spree across New York, caught up in an internal struggle with his old self and the monster he's become. The genius of Molina's performance, however, lies in how he coalesces real tragedy with the hyperbolic nature of Raimi's Spidey. It's over the top, yes, but it's also really emotive.
In that way, Molina almost embodies the entire vibe of Raimi's trilogy. It's cartoony, but convincingly intense too, which makes it one of the best comic book performances ever.